Pokemon 0: Hearts of Trainers
by Afroshock
Summary: It's been four years since Ed met Rob and got involved with Team Zero.  He's lived a comfortable life in Sinnoh until trouble comes to Veilstone and he gets caught in it.  This is the sequel to Pokemon 0.
1. Chapter I: Red and Black

**Pokémon 0: The Hearts of Trainers**

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><p><em>It's been 9 months I think. Feels good to write again! Enjoy!<em>

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><p><em>"I'll pay you back." - Rob<em>**  
><strong>

**Chapter I: Red and Black**

"So I was thinking I'd do like you and get myself a flat near Hearthome," Darius said. He had a proud strut in his step as we followed a country dirt path through an empty field. His flashlight lit the way.

Hearthome City's lights from a distance were a manmade Milky Way. The real stars in the sky were blurred out by the smog clouds. Skyscrapers and giant cranes were gathered in the southern part surrounding the radio tower and its blinking, synchronized red lights. The city was black at night. The city's name came from the saying "Home Is Where the Heart Is," but Hearthome was more of my hub than a home.

Staring out at the city made me lag behind Darius. "Do it man," I said in distraction.

Darius started to talk about the money he'd have to put down and questioned where he would get it.

"You have any regular Poké Balls on you?" He asked. "You know some of those Rocket boys pay for Pokémon still."

I ignored his implied suggestion. "Or you could get a Pokémon team together and fight in the Battle Tent," I said. "You'd have to ask Nina for a fake PokéDex but you get nice money from it. Legal too. Kinda."

He shrugged and said nothing. We continued down through the field. Being the only two humans in the area at that time of night was weird. Out helping Darius with catching Pokémon for Team Zero was even weirder. He had come to my apartment ringing my doorbell two hours ago asking me to protect him.

Four years had passed since I met him in Johto. We both used to be Pokémon Trainers but we figured getting into Team Zero would benefit us more. Unlike him, I still had my Pokémon while he decided to drop from our leader's pupil to a basic member by giving his only Pokémon up. His ex replaced him as Zero's pupil a few months later. The two ignore each other.

"How'd you get a Gastly?" I asked him as we passed by the old, collapsed wreckage of a farmhouse. "I don't remember what you had before him, but I don't think you started off with one."

"I traded for it," he said tersely. "It was like my first homework assignment from Zero. Damn sure couldn't find one myself and he didn't want to give me one."

I snickered. "And now you get to catch some."

He mumbled something incomprehensible as we got near the end of the field. Our boots squelched in the wet grass from an earlier rainstorm as we reached a dense thicket that covered the entire perimeter. A familiar chill ran through me. Wild ghost types had that effect. Darius froze up and stared into the darkness through the trees.

"Do you really need ghost Pokémon?" I asked. He kept silent. I put a hand on his shoulder and he flinched violently.

"Uh. Yeah! Yeah… Zero always preferred ghost types," he stammered out.

That was news to me since Zero never made me catch Pokémon for him after a screw-up with a bunch of Slowpoke I caught.

A light breeze rustled the trees. The chilling feeling subsided.

"Feel that? The wind probably scared them since they're babies," I said.

Darius was still petrified. "They might run away if you don't hurry and catch some," I reminded him.

He rattled his head and zipped his coat up. Then he tightened his gloves and pulled a Zero Ball out of his pocket. "Let's go."

He stepped into the thicket, but then immediately jumped out glaring at me before I could even follow.

"What beats ghost types?" He asked in a harsh whisper. "You can hurt ghosts right?"

Seeing Darius get jumpy made me wonder if other forces were influencing him. He was giddy to catch some Gastly after learning about a cluster made its home in the abandoned farms outside of Veilstone. Gastly were easy to deal with, but they had to come from somewhere or something.

"I can scare off a bunch of little ghosts," I said. "Now can we go? I feel like you're going to end up asking me to catch them for you."

Darius brightened up with a toothy smile. "And if I did, would you?"

I sighed. "Nope. You brought us out here. Just hurry up before it hits dawn."

He pulled his cellphone out his pocket and turned on the screen. "It's only about 2 AM."

My temper began to rise. "So don't stand here for three hours! Go on!"

Darius sucked his teeth and began to head back in but hesitated one more time. "You'll stand right there, right?"

"Dude, just go!" I shouted. His rustling became louder and hurried as he made his way through the thicket. Going in there myself would've been too dangerous if anything did happen. My Pokémon wouldn't have enough space to fight and keep us safe at the same time. The idea was to start wrecking the place if something happened. Darius lacked Pokémon so he always had to make sure he had someone helping him out. Catching Pokémon could get dangerous. Catching Pokémon with an illegal kind of Poké Ball was worse.

A bright flash came from inside the thicket. My arm shot to my eyes to block the glare. Zero Balls gave off a blinding light when they were activated.

Suddenly, a powerful gust hit me on my side and sent me tumbling over the grass. My hand was already on my belt, ready to toss out my special attackers.

_You won't get far._

A sharp pain drove itself down through my skull behind my right ear. The sensation did a sudden swirl and made me collapse to the ground holding my head.

_You'll regret this. You'll be caught. You'll be killed._

I tossed out two Poké Balls. The ground under me shook from Alan's weight and June's aura raised the air's temperature. Gastly can't mess with people's heads. A stronger Pokémon was stirred.

The area became unnaturally dark after Zero Ball's glow faded away. The shadows from the trees and blades of grass stretched from June's illuminated body. A wild Gengar wanted to fight.

"June! Stay close to Alan. Alan! Get ready to do the Shadow Ball move we practiced!" I commanded as I got up and crawled over to June to stand next to her. Her current heat wouldn't harm me.

Flames ignited in her clawed hands. She was ready to roast the ghost. Her sharp green eyes darted around to catch a glimpse of the sinister ghost.

Alan towered over both of us. His massive frame was wide and ready to take whatever was thrown at him right in the chest. Massive for a Nidoking, I once asked a breeder about what could have made him so large. They guessed it was his body's way of compensating for the excess poison glands. The spikes on his back were fully erect and his bottom jaw was wide open. His mouth was pitch black, collecting the dark energy from the environment. Some ghost Pokémon had a tendency to make a lot appear despite being weak to it. Gengar was one of those kinds.

An agonizing scream erupted in my head. June pushed me away and shot a lick of flames behind me. I turned around and saw a small, plump shadowy figure rolling on the ground covered in fire. The normal giant grin Gengar usually have was a frown on this one.

_You'll regret this. You'll be caught. You'll be killed. There's a lot of people waiting for me back at Headquarters._

Alan blasted the writhing figure with its own shadows that it used to trick us. The blast sent the Gengar rolling across the field, where the flame on its body exploded. The Gengar incinerated in a matter of seconds. Its ashes shriveled upward into the air and faded away.

I sat on the ground as the Gengar's darkness slowly brightened back up to the normal nighttime light. "That was easy," I said in surprise as I wiped the dirt and grass blades off my shoulders.

Darius jumped out the thicket holding his Zero Ball. His head darted around and he was on his toes ready to run. Seeing my Pokémon made him stop and take a step back.

He frowned. "Damn Ed! I was just about to warn you 'bout the thing." The fading smoke wafted past him. "Took care of him yourself, I see."

I got on my feet and wiped my jeans off. June got my attention by letting off a slight stream of fire into the air with a flick of her wrist. Then she stretched enough to pop her bones and let out a screeching yawn. Getting out of a Poké Ball after a week stuffed inside one made her stiff. The only time my Pokémon were let out was when I was training them back 'home'. They were only used in emergencies if I was on Team Zero duty. The Champions knew my face and they didn't need to place it with my Pokémon. A Blaziken was a common enough starter Pokémon, but June and I would've stuck out. We'd be caught if news ever got out telling we were now in Sinnoh.

She turned around and faced me when I grabbed her Poké Ball to return her. She had grown up in a gym learning how to fight. Her jade eyes reflected a sense of learned strength and ability. Other Zero members always talked about how fierce she looks and asked how she got so strong. However, I felt regret every time I had her out. The same feeling touched me when I had any of my Pokémon out, but June had the status of being my first Pokémon and the one who I used to use the most. I went from carrying her in my arms to holding her hand while I went around the Johto mainland. That was four years ago.

Darius had his cluster of Gastly and we left. We made our way to the ends of the fields to where a road laid and followed it back to a small, country town called Lemon Hill. My Pokémon were already back in their balls and on my belt despite it being so late at night. While we were waiting at the bus stop, I had to look down and make sure I was wearing civilian clothes. Normal clothes.

The bus came and we got on. We rode it back to Veilstone and Darius stayed onboard for the round trip to get back to his place at Headquarters. I waved him farewell and went on my way through the streets of the city. The streetlights on the sidewalk made me thankful I didn't have to live in Lemon Hill or on its farms.

Turning the lonely corner on Esis Street brought me to the doorstep of my place. Sounds of heavy bass and a rapid tempo came from a few blocks away. Going to a house party would've been nice any other night but I was yawning as I climbed up to my apartment. First thing I did after unlocking my door was toss my coat on top of the other coats on my recliner. Second thing was to get disappointed at the dishes piling out of my sink. Third thing was to quietly get into my room and throw off my clothes. My girlfriend Gabrielle was sound asleep sprawled over my bed. I carefully stepped around her clothes on the floor and got on the other side and sat down on the mattress to untie my boots. She slid over consciously or unconsciously (couldn't tell) and I climbed in to bed and went to sleep without a word.

The next morning, I woke up to find a shirtless Rob hastily pouring a glass of my orange juice and filling it to the brim. He was the same Rob from four years ago, with the same barrel-chested build. Same wild black hair down to his shoulders. Still reckless. He saw me and started to gargle. I stared at him in confusion.

"Usually you ask," I said, "but that's kind of disgusting."

He swallowed the juice, coughed harshly, and spat into the sink. "My throat was all itchy when I woke up. I'm not trying to get sick and anything citrus kills anything that makes a sore throat."

He turned on the faucet to let it clean out his spit off the stack of dishes. "I'll pay you back." Then his eyes brightened as he stared at the tower of china in front of him. "How about I wash these and we can call it even?"

A glass of orange juice to clean a week's worth of dishes? "Awesome. That works."

We planned our day out in the kitchen while I cooked myself some scrambled eggs. Then Gabrielle walked in all tired, yawning with her brown curly locks getting stuck on her lips. She sat down with us put her forehead on the tabletop and groaned in frustration. Rob immediately got up to put his glass in the sink and turned on the faucet to start washing dishes.

"Gabby, you got up just in time," I said scraping eggs from the frying pan to the plate. "Rob and I are going to hit up the Veilstone Gym. Wanna come and finally give my Pokémon the attention they deserve?"

Gabby stayed quiet while she rolled her head onto her ear. "_'Hit up?_'"

I sat down with my breakfast. "We're going to the gym. Rob and me. Come with us. Cheer me on. We can run on the treadmills afterwards."

She groaned. "It's Sunday so I gotta head over to The Fellowship and sort files…again…while finishing a history paper due tomorrow. Then I need to apply for this scholarship that's been in the back of my head for a week now."

I chuckled and wondered how having a measly three gym badges would stack to her. "Ha! Homework. But yeah, I thought your shift started at 2. It's 11 and the gym is on the way."

Gabby sat up to stretch and yawned. "You know what? I think I'll just clock in early. Get extra money while writing on dead kings and queens. Let me grab my clothes and get out of here."

She got up and went back into my bedroom and closed the door behind her. I caught Rob standing straight after leaning to the side to check her out. He went back to scrubbing the plates.

"Hey Rob, isn't weird to think about people our age having to do homework?" I asked, finishing my eggs.

"Well, you'd be on your last year of high school I think," he answered as he rinsed a glass. "Or in Johto you would. I'd probably be kicked out of school or in college. Kicked out most likely."

I put my plate into the dishwater and patted Rob's back. "Rob, you're smarter and you work harder than any of these stuck up students who live near us. Except Gabby's cool because Gabby doesn't make it her goal to get wasted every week like the rest of them."

"Instead her goal is," Rob cleared his throat and began speaking with a high and mighty Sinnoh accent, "to become a high and mighty, upstanding citizen in the community – helping regular people and Trainers alike."

Rob heard my bedroom door open quickly shut his mouth. Gabby came out in a simple tank top and jeans. She grabbed her backpack and coat from the living room and came back to the kitchen to kiss me bye and a goodbye wave to Rob. We kept silent until we heard the front door close behind her.

"So yesterday," I started, sitting backwards at my table, "you said Eli might have another job for me?"

Rob put a stack of clean plates into a cupboard. "He was thinking about it. I don't think he'll use you though. You really don't' wanna be mixed up with him again anyway."

My head sunk into my folded arms. "I didn't mind beating people up for him. He gave me folks who deserved to be smacked around. You don't think I can do it?"

Rob sighed and shook his head. "Anyone can sit there and hit someone who's tied to a chair. But for you, nah, it's something I'm glad Zero got you out of. And speaking of him, he told me something extremely awesome and interesting."

I leaned forward. "'Sup?"

The dishes and glasses were finished and put up. Rob jumped his rear up onto the counter with a mischievously wide smile. "An old friend of ours is coming up from Hoenn to join us."

All I could do was frown. Whatever devious thought Rob had left him and made him concerned. "The hell's wrong?"

My heart sank and I became conscious of my Poké Balls on their belt lazily hanging up. Happiness was outnumbered by romantic confusion and inferiority. A small tremor had shaken every development and achievement I made in the past four years and brought them closer to the edge of a shelf, and they were just waiting to fall and break.

I sighed and laughed. "Alice is coming to Sinnoh huh? I guess it's time for me to start being self-conscious now."

Rob nodded. "Yup. And with that train of thought, you're going to beast in the gym all this week and when she gets off that boat or plane…whatever she's on, you'll challenge her to a fight right then and there and then everyone won't feel bad anymore."

"If I said this is the start of me feeling worthless, what would you think?" I said, sulking and getting paranoid of the impending drama between Alice, her Pokémon, me, and my Pokémon. All I could predict were blood and tears along the later on. This would be one bittersweet reunion.

"I'd say you're finally thinking too much after I-don't-know-how long," he replied. "And besides, you two are both grown now. You got a hot girlfriend who you fuck on a regular basis unless you've been bullshitting me over the phone. You've had one-night stands from parties and such. Living the life of a Trainer. All that stuff." He shrugged. "But yeah. I'd say you are over whatever happened back when you were thirteen or fourteen and now you're just thinking too much. A simple fight would fix it."

When I was still traveling in Johto, Alice and I had to fight each other for our fourth badges. She not only beat me, but she destroyed me. One of my Pokémon had been beaten to a bloody pulp and was out for days. June had been incapacitated and then had her arm broken. And this was done by a girl I had developed feelings for. She was a crush, and I even kissed her after I lost. After that, I first felt like everything I chose to do was wrong. I was supposed to be mad at her but I couldn't make myself stay angry.

Every time I look at June or Shox, I feel stupid and I apologize to them in my head. I found my peace eventually and all I could do was hope she found hers. But if she came to me ready to fight me again, I told myself I would destroy her like she destroyed me when I was a child.

I smiled from the corner of my face. "Well, we'll see Rob. I think calling her fat might be easier though."

That alone had us laughing while we got our gym clothes on. Then we decided to race to the gym. Despite his bulky frame, Rob managed to stay on my heels. He almost passed me when we crossed the bridge into the inner city. We dodged people and managed to even jump over boxes and pets (I think Rob jumped over a small child and caused a mother to shout at us.)

We were almost at the Gym when we hit an intersection. Both of us breathed hard and held our knees waiting for the orange DON'T WALK light to change. We were next to an electronics store with HDTVs on display in the window for passerby to see.

Rob grinned at me, heaving through his teeth, and burst into a dash across the street. An incoming car hit its breaks hard causing a screech that made everyone on the block turn their heads. Rob just cackled and waved back at me as he made his way down a hill and out my view.

"Yeah keep running. I'll just take my sweet time walking," I said to myself in defeat. I took a step on the street once the signal came on, but the familiar, urgent theme tune from the local news channel blasted from the electric store's speakers. Always wanting to be on top of things, I turned around and watched the 3D letters soar on screen spell out BREAKING NEWS. A Hoenn female reporter at a desk popped up on screen, quickly fluffing her puffy hair.

"We're covering breaking news right outside of Veilstone where police are on the scene of an apparent murder of a Pokémon League Champion."

My excursion with Darius last night came back to me in full force. I prayed the Gengar had nothing to do with the Champion for my sake, Darius' sake, and the dead Champion's sake.

A map showed up on the television and a chill ran over me when the camera zoomed into the dot labeled Lemon Hill. A male reporter at the scene spoke into his microphone as police were walking about behind him. The scene kept changing to focus on trees, police cars, and police tape.

"We are in the Peyton Fields right outside of Lemon Hill where Veilstone police are investing what they believe is the murder of a Pokémon League Champion. They reported that a call came in 10:30 today saying a body was found deep in the nearby woods. The person who called led the police into the woods to where the body was to confirm the story was true. The police confirmed the victim was a Kanto Pokémon League Champion named Benjamin Bradshaw. The cause of death has not been announced yet, but the police state it was murder."

I was no stranger to the brush of death, but experiencing another's was something only a few people in the world could handle. I wasn't one of them. The Gengar I 'killed' had been made out of Benjamin Bradshaw's memories. It had probably been a Gastly, but came in contact with the corpse and reacted to it. Ghost Pokémon gathered toward death and the dying – the lifeless and the near-lifeless were rich with anti-waves.

I knew Zero would want to talk to me about this. What I didn't know was how far down this murder was in the chain of events I had no idea I was part of. The last thing I wanted was to have anything to do with a Champion. The worst thing that could happen was if police somehow put me and Darius at the scene

When a Champion falls, more come in and replace him. No doubt Champions were already investigating the murder. The Champions would probably find some trace of the Gastly and the Gengar. That was enough of a stretch for them to start looking for me.

Zero, Dmitri, and Ilia no doubt had this figured out. I didn't know what I would be doing in the coming months, but something told me I wouldn't be in Veilstone anymore.

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><p><em>Anyone know how I can contact folks to show them I've started uploading the sequel? That's what those authorstory alert things are for, right?_


	2. Chapter II: Right Hands

_So Rob went snooping around my stuff today and found my journal. He laughed at me and called it a diary, then he said he liked what he read and told me to write some more. So here I am writing some more. I thought I was going to stop since I didn't think I'd have anything interesting and awesome to put in here…and I still don't think I have much to put in. I guess I can write about being with Team Zero and my Pokémon. I wonder if I will get any new Pokémon now._

_Rob and I sat down and talked to Zero in his office underneath the Hearthome City gym. I think I'm going to stop trusting Pokémon gyms. Never knew so many had all this hidden stuff in them._

_Zero said I need to pull my weight. Rob did all the talking and said I could help him out when he was around. Zero said I gotta do more and said the two gym leaders in Veilstone could give me work. That or help that Eli guy out._

_Rob was furious that Zero thought that. But Zero calls the shots for Team Zero (He's THE ZERO for Team Zero so of course he'd be the leader) and he didn't change his mind at all._

_I don't think Rob wants me to be in Team Zero. I asked him after we left and he said he just didn't want me in trouble. I thought that was funny because I'm in Team Zero._

_And I even got a coat and a mask too. Rob said I would only have to wear it to meetings._

_I want to help out. I want to help out other trainers._

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><p><strong>Chapter II – Right Hands<strong>

Eli didn't mix well with me. He was one of those people who'd keep quiet and act like he didn't hear whoever was talking to him. But when he did open his mouth, he'd say something short and condescending. Add that I've never seen him without some knife or gun of some kind strapped to him and you have one person I would avoid being in the same room with.

And it was my luck he was sent to look into the murder for Zero. Rob and I just started putting weights on barbells when he whistled from across the gym at us to meet him in the upstairs office overlooking everything.

Inside were two folding chairs waiting for our posteriors to sit in. Eli was watching a Pokémon battle out one of the windows with the most disinterested face. A giant Fearow sped upward past the window and out of view toward the roof. The Veilstone Gym was split in two parts – a side for people to exercise and a side for Pokémon to train and battle.

Eli never spoke first and I imagined he only would if he was going to make a threat. How a guy could be such an awkward asshole was beyond me. He wore a dress shirt with a grey vest and slacks. A handgun was strapped to his side. He was the last person Zero would send to find investigate anything unless he felt someone would have to get hurt in the process.

At any rate, I started with what was on my mind.

"Zero sent you to talk to me?" I asked.

"Sure did," he chirped. I couldn't tell if that was sarcasm. "And to look into this new mess and to silence anyone who knows too much."

"So what did you hear from the Gengar?" he asked. He plopped down on the leather chair and kicked his feet up on the stacks of paper and books on the desk. His black dress shoes made me question if he was just kicked out of a church for having a firearm on him.

"What's this about?" Rob asked his fellow lieutenant. Eli ignored him.

"It was talking gibberish," I said. "I think it was telling me about the last moments the guy had before he died."

"Who died?" Rob asked, looking at both of us to answer.

Eli's words were short. "Rob, you don't need to be in here if you don't know what's going on."

Rob's voice dropped its curiosity. "Then tell me. I have a right to know."

Eli rocked slightly in his chair and put his arms behind his head with the blank face he always wore. He was glaring at Rob.

"A Champion got murdered. Died around here. It has nothing to do with you, but Zero wanted me to tell your sickly ass back to Hearthome the moment I talked to you. Seems like your break's over. Go back to Hearthome and actually do some work."

Rob was at a loss for words. Eli had that effect on people with his unnecessarily snide comments, even people like Rob who he had been working with for years.

"It's pretty urgent, so I don't know why you're still sitting there," Eli said. Again, I couldn't tell if he was being serious or sarcastic.

I handed Rob the keys to my apartment to get his stuff. Defeated, Rob pocketed my keys and left the room.

"How's Rob's health?" Eli asked. It took a second for me to realize it was only us two in the uncomfortably small square room. "He had a bad cold last time I saw him."

"He had a sore throat this morning," I said. Since when did Eli care about others?

He nodded as if to register that tidbit for safe keeping. "Alright. So what did the Gengar say?"

I was more worried the Gengar was going to kill me. I jogged the back of my memory. "I don't remember. I guess it was the guy talking to his murderer."

I shrugged. Eli impatiently pulled his feet back onto the ground and leaned forward on the desk. "Nothing else? Did it say anything about other Champions?"

He was right. "Yeah…yeah it did."

"To the effect that Champions would come to figure out what happened to him? He say who?"

I tried to remember.

"Well? Say something. You're wasting my time."

Nothing was popping up. Perhaps for a reason.

"He honestly didn't mention anyone. He just made threats. He said something about some headquarters I think and how the guy who murdered him would be killed."

Thinking about it, a Champion making death threats? Sure, he was at the end of his life, so maybe extreme behavior is expected.

"Aren't Champions all about preserving peace? Who could they be looking for, trying to -"

Eli interrupted. "And he said nothing about _who_ exactly?"

I shook my head. He was drilling the questions. The sooner he was away from me, the better.

An off-place mischievous smile twisted onto his face. "That's what Zero wanted to ask you about. Now I have something I want to ask you, and I feel like you're going to first tell me no."

"No, Eli," I said. "I will not help you jump the Rocket boys. You know I don't do that anymore."

He tapped his fingertips together and stared at where they touched. "This is something else. Something outside of Team Zero. So you can't go running to your boyfriend about this. He'll tell Zero because he's a suck-up like that and who knows what Zero would do?"

He had some nerve to make that suggestion. "Hmm. Let me think about that…definitely no. God no."

Eli was the only member of Team Zero I knew who never used Pokémon. Now I've seen all kinds of crazy, cruel people with Pokémon who would either abuse their Pokémon or worse – have their Pokémon become crazy and cruel too. But it was always weird seeing a person who worked with Pokémon but never had one. Zero and Eli must have had history together. Eli was the odd man out of everyone. Eli was just an odd man.

"It's not like not holding Rob's hand once in a while is going to kill you. You're grown. You just turned eighteen, right? You definitely didn't mind beating the living daylights out of other grown men so some independence would do you some good. That and I think you would like some grand tossed your way. "

Grand? That was money. _"What?"_

Eli laughed. I never wanted to hear him laugh again after that. He got up with a disturbing perkiness and strut in his step. "I need to hurry somewhere, but just know to meet me at Dock 4 next to the yellow crates with _Adelphi _written on them. You'll see them. 2 AM Saturday morning, after Friday night. We're going to be picking up some packages and driving them to Hearthome. Then we get paid and your cut would be about thirty grand."

He was having a time seeing my expression, I bet. A cold sweat broke from my forehead. Money wasn't a problem to me since Team Zero kept a roof over my head, and gave me clothes and food. But I never saw a dime of that money. The jobs Eli used to give me earned me a few thousand for beating people up. Moving packages would be more than fine, so who wouldn't take the opportunity?

_People who didn't want to be caught moving drugs. That's who._ "What's in the packages? Being in Team Zero is a crime already."

"Some underground Pokémon technology I heard, but don't ask questions. I'd have to kill you."

He whipped a pistol out and pointed it at me.

I had already activated Nick's Poké Ball.

A quick hand would always beat a Trainer with no Pokémon out. That was why Eli used guns.

He put the gun back in its holster and shook his head in condescending disappointment. He managed to be offensive while not opening his mouth.

He got up and went over to the door. He turned around at me before he left. "I almost forgot. You're to pick up Alice Rowan from the Veilstone docks next Thursday. Then you two are to report to Zero for a briefing. Think about my offer. It'll do you some good to do things yourself for once."

With that, he left me in the office neglecting to give a simple 'bye'. I couldn't tell if he was rushing to get to a bathroom or wanted to be away from me. One other thing he did was not ask me to help him out with some other job he had planned. He and a few other Team Zero members were assigned to shakedown some Rocket boys who figured they'd want a little something slipped under the table from Team Zero.

What we did to them was not pretty. Rob got me out that job some months back and things been different between me and Eli. He was always a freak – he would get like a child in a toy store when he had the jump on a guy – but at least then, we were coworkers. A bit short of being partners. Never friends though. God no.

Since Rob was gone and running into Eli had the tendency to suck the excitement out of life, I figured my Pokémon could get a moment to run around. I went downstairs and entered the Pokémon part of the gym. Most trainers were gathered around the center ring where one of my guardians, the lady Gym Leader Ilia Stukov, stood on one of the raised platforms facing a teenage kid across from her. Her husband, my other guardian and the second Gym Leader Dmitri, sat at the bench on the sidelines. His massive frame took up two seats. Both were the whitest people I've ever met, both with dazzling, shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. They would've looked like siblings if Ilia didn't have rosy cheeks and dimples.

Ilia returned her Pokémon and caught sight of me. She smiled and showed off her perfect teeth. "_Vanven!" _she boomed down at me. The northern Sinnoh greeting was too hoarse-sounding for me to feel any welcome from it after nearly four years. "Ed! Come here! I want to see your Pokémon fight! You have June with you, yes?" She shook a fist in the air.

She must've just finished her fight since all the other trainers were leaving the bleachers. Dmitri came over to me and his very presence at close proximity made my physique a joke. Every guy who worked out in the Veilstone Gym wanted to get like Dmitri. He was the strongest human in the gym and was a walking hulk of muscle.

"_Yonna,_ is he not ready to be tested? All he does is train and train…" He put a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. He could've lifted me in the air and strangled me between two fingers if he wanted.

"Tell her no. Tell her…how you say…'take a hike.' Tell her you want a full, complete battle for once," he said.

Ilia joined his side. "His Pokémon would be _smooshed._"

Enter Ilia, the best human fighter of the Veilstone Gym. Mon-Chan Ki, Mon-Lee Ki, and Mon-Top Ki master. If folks wanted to work out to be as strong as her husband, then everyone else wanted to be a human weapon like Ilia Stukov. I would talk about the things I've seen her do, but I will just say June couldn't beat her one-on-one. And I mean if the two got into the ring together and went at each other.

She was mine's and June's _sensei._ Unfortunately, June was far more loyal to her teachings. You're not supposed to attack the weak, you see. Most of the people I ever did hit were young thugs who were tied up.

_Didi-BEEP!_

My cellphone rang and vibrated in my pocket. The sleek black cumbersome brick was a gift from my brother back when I was a trainer. I checked for a text message.

_Hey ed_

_Can u come by the U and walk me home?_

_ i got off work early. got something to show u._

_3_

I deflated and felt fat. So much for working out. But I was excited about what Gabby got me. After telling them about the message, I got my stuff and told Dmitri and Ilia I'd come by earlier tomorrow to make up for today.

"Eddy! Wait one second!" Dmitri shouted. He jogged toward me as I was about to leave the gym. "Did Eli tell you about who you have to pick up next Thursday?"

I nodded.

"Then what took you so long? He said he was in a hurry," Dmitri recalled. "What were you two talking about in the office?"

Thirty grand was enough to tell me he was being too intrusive and I needed time to think if dealing with Eli was even worth it. Dmitri and Ilia were too close to Zero – both were lieutenants. I lied and said Eli and I almost got into a fight because I looked at him funny. Dmitri backed off. He knew about what Eli used to have me do.

This meant I wouldn't be able to tell Rob a thing.

Gabby worked at the Trainer's Union on the all the way on the western side of the city. I chose to take the train instead of flying to think about the risks doing Eli's job. Gabby would be mad but so what? She'd shut up if I gave her a pearl necklace or some diamond earrings.

The off-work traffic was so bad it made me thankful I didn't know how to even drive a screw. I could do a piledriver at the very least! I cut across the congested street through the idle cars and trucks and walked up to my girlfriend who was posted up next to the double doors of one of the few legit places that took care of Pokémon Trainers.

"The hell took you so long?" was the first thing to come out her mouth. "Why didn't you fly?"

She had no idea I worked with Team Zero and I was for damn sure she wasn't about to learn I was about to do some side business. "I figured I'd be romantic and fly us back to my place. I didn't want Vic to get too tired. She doesn't do round trips."

I had forgotten to turn on the sarcasm in my voice. Gabby threw her backpack over her shoulder and began the walk down the street to the bus stop. "I'm not flying on your dumb bug lizard thing."

I tossed out Vic. Her green filmy skin reflected the deep orange sinking sun. Her seven feet tall body was more slender than usual, which meant she needed food to last her for the next two or three weeks. Her orange translucent diamond-shaped wings were wide open and she twitched her head around hoping for any Butterfree to pass by.

I jumped to Gabby's side and Vic followed on all fours. "Come on. She likes you. Do you really wanna walk?"

Vic's eyes were as big as a plate and as shiny as a snow globe. People were either weirded out by them or found then cute and figured she was a docile creature that couldn't set a house on fire with purple, stinging fire or didn't actively hunt down the most peaceful bug Pokémon currently alive. Her eyes were a deep yellow with a black orb half as big as the eye itself inside as the pupil. They were currently ravenously following a small flock of Zubat fluttering by overhead.

Gabby walked right past me. "Yes. Yes I do. Now put the stupid lizard away before you scare some children," she said while lazily waving at some coworkers and trainers also leaving the Union.

Vic didn't care since she didn't understand humans' expressions and emotions outside my own, but I cared. Any trainer saying that would've gotten their team soloed by Vic. None of my Pokémon were dumb or stupid. Unfortunately, I still hadn't figured out a way to get back at non-Trainers without getting arrested. One time I almost considered keeping my Team Zero mask handy just for the occasion.

The Flygon cocked her head sideways and a slender tongue flashed out her mouth, licked her left eye, and disappeared. I scratched her neck and told her I'd let her go hunting after Gabby was gone, and then returned Vic back into her ball.

Gabby brought this up ten minutes later when we were halfway to her home on Masthall Street in the Scrinton borough, where suburbs were lined up like those little green plastic houses in that one board game. More houses were being built and land was being cleared farther down the street. Some of the new, empty houses had rolls of grass sitting out in their barren, dirt front yards. Gabby had the benefit of her family being one of the first to move into the neighborhood. Her grass was already rolled out and settled in. I bent over and plucked a blade of grass from the ground and inspected it.

"Why do you do that every time you come by here?" she groaned, searching her backpack for keys.

I rubbed the stringy blade between my fingers. "It never grows. I swear this stuff is fake or some newly-engineered grass or somethin'."

She grabbed my hand and dragged me up to her doorstep. The garage doors were closed shut.

I forgot if I had any condoms in my jeans. "Your parents home?"

She gave me the least sultry look a girl could give if she wanted sex. Then she pulled me for a kiss. My arms followed along and held her close as our lips locked and our tongues slipped alongside each other.

She pulled on my upper lip then whispered close into my ear: "When you leave, look near the fire hydrant to my left. I think they're cops. They've been showing up in that brown, old car since three days ago. Always at the same time too."

Truant officers would get to me every now and then, but they never did a stake out on students playing hooky. "That's what you wanted to show me? They just sit there?" I whispered back. I pecked her mocha-colored forehead.

"Yeah," she said. Then she embraced me. "I'm scared."

Her body language was that of an overly-doting girlfriend. I lifted her chin with a finger and stared into her hazel eyes as intently as I could. "Don't worry. Go inside and lock the door. I'll swing by tomorrow. Love ya."

I pecked her lips and walked off Palmer property. Hearing Gabby open and close the door behind me relieved me and gave me courage to get on the sidewalk and walk straight down to the fire hydrant, where an old, fat sedan was parked a space behind. Inside were two older men in tacky, worn suits. I stared at them as I walked by and they stared at me. _Yeah you doughnut-eating morons, I have red hair, green eyes, and I'm 6 feet tall. Come at me._

I put my hands in my pockets and walked the entire completed length of Masthall street. The old men were nowhere behind me. I ducked into an alleyway and let out Vic. I hopped on her back and flew back to my apartment on the other side of Veilstone. Rob had gotten his stuff and left.

Being alone in my apartment for once was a moment I had to savor. And of course that required a cool bottle of beer. I took a bottle of a special brew from a local bar Team Zero partly owned and stared at the dark liquid through the glass. Then I put it back and got a bottle of water – not working out and drinking alcohol was a bad mix.

I sat down in the quiet in front of the black screen of my turned-off TV thinking about if the old men outside Gabby's house were really police, and if they were, what they wanted. Then there was if I wanted to score all that money from Eli's job. That was followed by wondering how it would be to be around Alice again.

Drinking up my water made me have to run to the closest bathroom, the one for guests. After I pissed and washed my hands, I dried them on a green towel haphazardly hanging up on a rack next to the shower tub.

Then I remembered I gave it to Rob to use while he stayed with me. I cursed aloud and took the towel to my room. I tossed it into my hamper next to my closet. The towel landed on the side and slid onto the floor. Cursing again, I picked it up with the tips of my fingers.

That's when I saw faded red-brownish splotches on the fabric. Rob had probably tried washing the towel, I guessed. A cheap lemon scent came from it. I recalled I bought some lemon-scented dryer sheets.

Rob's blood didn't wash out all the way.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry for the long delay. Things got a bit too crazy in the real world with classes and a particular girl. Also, it was getting quite hard to find a focus for the story since I have a lot of ideas to go with. Hope you enjoyed!<em>


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